The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday that the vast amount of waste produced in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic posed a threat to human and environmental health.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, discarded syringes, used test kits, and old vaccine bottles have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, posing threat to humans and the environment.
The 71-page document said a large share of the 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered via a UN portal between March 2020 and November 2021 ended up as waste.
Additionally, more than 140 million test kits have been shipped, with the potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of mainly plastic and enough chemical waste to fill one-third of an Olympic swimming pool. Some eight billion vaccine doses administered globally were also estimated to have produced an additional 144,000 tonnes of waste in the form of glass vials, syringes, needles, and safety boxes.
Most of this equipment has likely ended up as waste, the WHO said.
"It is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE. But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment," said WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan.
The 71-page report warned that safe management services for healthcare waste were lacking even before the pandemic added further pressures.
The report recommended practical solutions, such as using PPE more rationally; using less packaging; developing reusable PPE; using PPE made with biodegradable materials; investing in non-burn waste treatment technology; centralizing waste management, and investing in local PPE production.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, discarded syringes, used test kits, and old vaccine bottles have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, posing threat to humans and the environment.
The 71-page document said a large share of the 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE) ordered via a UN portal between March 2020 and November 2021 ended up as waste.
Additionally, more than 140 million test kits have been shipped, with the potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of mainly plastic and enough chemical waste to fill one-third of an Olympic swimming pool. Some eight billion vaccine doses administered globally were also estimated to have produced an additional 144,000 tonnes of waste in the form of glass vials, syringes, needles, and safety boxes.
Most of this equipment has likely ended up as waste, the WHO said.
"It is absolutely vital to provide health workers with the right PPE. But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment," said WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan.
The 71-page report warned that safe management services for healthcare waste were lacking even before the pandemic added further pressures.
The report recommended practical solutions, such as using PPE more rationally; using less packaging; developing reusable PPE; using PPE made with biodegradable materials; investing in non-burn waste treatment technology; centralizing waste management, and investing in local PPE production.
